Kathleen E. Moran

The Parkville resident, who worked in real estate, had earlier been a special agent for the FBI.

Kathleen E. Moran, who worked in real estate sales for more than two decades and earlier had been an FBI special agent, died Sunday of a recurrent meningioma at Gilchrist Hospice Care. The Parkville resident was 56.

Ms. Moran was born in Baltimore and raised in Lauraville. She was a 1970 graduate of Northern High School and earned a bachelor's degree in education in 1975 from what is now Towson University.

After graduating from Towson, where she played lacrosse, volleyball and basketball, she taught and coached at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School and Catholic High School of Baltimore. She also served as lacrosse coach at Perry Hall High School.

"Kathy was a wonderful inspiration to me when I was in high school and she was my coach and teacher. She was someone who took on challenges and let you know that you could succeed at anything as long as you tried," said Diane O'Donnell, a Catholic High graduate.

"She went above and beyond her commitment to athletic programs, even taking time one summer to repaint the Catholic High insignia on the basketball court," she said.

Ms. Moran left education and, after graduating from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., in the early 1980s, worked as a special agent in Baltimore, New York, Washington and North Carolina.

After leaving the FBI, she earned her real estate license and began her real estate career in Baltimore in 1987.

Before the brain tumor diagnosis a decade ago, Ms. Moran remodeled her home and enjoyed gardening and caring for stray animals.

For the past 11 years, she had been employed in the Perry Hall office of RE/MAX American Dream. She took a medical disability leave in 2007.

Beginning in 1998, Ms. Moran endured seven brain operations.

"She bravely fought back from each to recover as much of her capacity as possible," said Barbara L. Sullivan, a friend since high school and a retired Baltimore County public school educator. "And although the meningioma took its physical toll, she continued to the end to make the most of her life."

As Ms. Moran was forced by illness to give up her former rigorous lifestyle, she found enjoyment playing slot machines and taking gambling trips with friends.

"She had such an incredible physical ability and never complained. She always worried about everyone else and lived life to the fullest," Ms. Sullivan said.

Ms. Sullivan said the surgeries forced her friend to learn how to walk again.

"She never gave up and still thought she could overcome the brain tumor," Ms. Sullivan said.

In an e-mail, longtime friend Carol Larson wrote: "Kathy was one of the strongest-willed people I have ever known. She was an inspiration and mentor for how to deal with the challenges life brings you. ... She often made fun of her own frailty. She was always planning, always thinking, always focused on the next goal."

Susan Hyman, a high school friend who is assistant registrar at Towson University, said, "Kathy was certainly one of a kind and the most caring person anyone could ever meet."

A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 11 a.m. Saturday at Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church, Mount Royal and Lafayette avenues.

Surviving are her partner of 10 years, Teri Kelly of Parkville; her mother, Marian Moran of Spring Hill, Fla.; a brother, Richard D. Moran Jr. of St. Petersburg, Fla.; a sister, Sharon Carry of Los Angeles; a niece; and a nephew.